Motor-vehicle.



J. B. FERGUSON.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. II. IEIIIA Patented July l', 1918.

ttozmzq 9 the rear axle.

, mission system from JOSEPH B. FERGUSON, 0F NEWARK, NEW JEF-SFV MOTOR-VEHICLE.

Speeioation o! Letters Patent.

Patented July 1e, 191s.

Application illedpril 11, 1917. Serial No. 161,122

To all 'w lt'may concern:

, B e if own that I, J osErH B. Fniioiison, a sub" of the King of Great Britain, and a r Y dent ofthe city of Newark, county of E x, State of New Jersey, have invented i new and useful Improvements in Motor-Vehicles, of which thefollowing is a specification.

`My invention relates to improvements in motor vehicles and generally to the lubrication thereof, and particularly to the lubricationf the hearings of gear-box, universal joint and rear axle y means of an oil passa e adapted to supply oil under ressure, al of which may or may not inclu e extensions leadin to such parts as brake spindle bearings an springs.

In motor vehicles it is customary to lubricate the bearings and gears of a gear box and the bearings of the engine, gears and bearings of therear axle by separate lubrication systems, and, in some cases, there is a common system for two of theseas, for instance, when the gear boxis built on the engine frame,or when the gear box is built on In either of these cases there would be two main systems, but many subsidiar parts, such as universal pints, spind e bearings, and so forth, will require separate and individual lubrication sources. In some cases, a universal joint has been inclosed in a gear box, but it is one object of in invention 'to lubricate the whole transs to say, the ar box, universal jointpropeller shaft, iilerential aring an rear axle (and if desirable, ot er parts, suchas brake s ndle bearings and means o a single system for lubricating supplied with lubricant 'under ressure.

A further object of my invention is to provide a lubrication system for conducting oil :from some part on the rame of the vehicle to the rear axle and provide means ,for

returning thellbricant to the frame so that it may beconserved or forced through the lubricating system over again as may be desiretl.

An incidental object my invention is to carry' oil from the frame of the vehicle to the rear axle thereof.

A further and subsidiary object of my invention is to provide a system for lubricatthe engine back-tliat spring) -by shaft 4. Thishowever, forms ing. the brake spindles and springs and spring mountings associated with the rear axle, which system is supplied from the rear ax e..

Other and further objects and advantages.

will appear from the following description, taken in c yinaction with the accompanying drawings, rmin a part of this specification, and they will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings iii which like reference characters designate similar parte,

Figure l is a diagrammatic Sectional view, with parte broken away, of mechanism for transmitting ower from the engine to the driving whee s of a motor vehicle, and embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 shows a modificati-.,-i. ture shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of :n.5 alle Strucccdrding to my invention, oil is supplied under pressure tu the main gear box of the shaft and is led throng various branches to the bearings withi: flue gear box tothe ropeller shaft and thence to the rear axle,

ranches being, provided to suppl f universal joint bearings from the inside an there isa passage lea in oil to the various bearings on the rear ax e and parts associated therewith, such as brake spindle bearings and spring mountings.

In the structure illustrated in the drawings for the purpose of assisting in disclosing one embodiment of my invention for the purposes of interpretation, particularly re ferrlng ,to Fig. l, a main gear-box shaft is provided with a lubricant circulation assage 2. The lubricant may be suppli to the passage 2 under pressure by any means,y

for example, through the assage 3 of the engine driven shaft 4, to w ich is keyed the fly-wheelv 5. Clutch mechanism 6, of any type, may serve to connect the shaft 1 to no part of invention. The gear-box'7 may or mayr be formed on the engine cas' It 1s not refei'ably attached to and part o liicle frame. The shaft 1 is mounted in the bearing 8 and the main shaft. 9 is mounted in the bearing 10 and in the bearingrll formed in the rear end of the shaft 1.. he main shaft 9 is provided with a lubricant mil *roo

the ve-` tis pussuge 12 communicating with the passage 2. A. lay-shaft 13 mounted in the beurivngs 1 l und 15 carriesl thc various gears 11S which nrc urruuged for cooperation with the gears 1T on the muin shaft 9, the geuring arrangement forming, however, no part of my in volition. The luy-shaft 13 is provided with a longitudinal lubricant pnssuge 18 which is closed at its ends. A transverse lubricant pussuge 19 conducts lubricant from' the passage 2 Ato the tissage 21') within a wall of thc gear box. an: this, in turn, conducts lubricant into the passage 18 through a trans-` verse passage, as shown. The passage 18 is also connected to the passage 12 through a transverse passage 19 in the main shaft 9 by a passage 2O 1n the wall of the gear box :1nd a transverse branch of the passage 18, as shown. I j

The shaft lxmaj have a bearing within the shaft 1, It is `evident from the structure so far described vthatluibrieant will be'conduct ed to all thebe'arinfls oft-he main and auxiliary shafting leading from the engine to the rear of the gear box. The mein propeller shaft 22 is joined to the main shaft 9 by means of the universal joint 23 and is provided with a lubricant passage 22 which communicates with the passage 12 by means of a passage through the pin 24 ofthe universal joint, as shown.

The rear axle 25' is mounted in the bearings 27 and 28 of its housing 26. The propeller shaft 22 is mounted m the rear axle housing in bearing 29, and lubricant possng through the psse'ge 22 lubricates' this bearing and is conducted through the passage 30 in the rearaxle housing to the bearings 28 audcouduets .oil to ,the lubricantbas' sage 31 inthe.reiaxjfanie:` FX'DEY? lllslubrioant is conclu 'f to the through the passage 82Go he brake. s lndle bearing 33. It is appuient thatI o' can,` be conducted/to thefmirng motn `nge `und any other part vussoci,pfeill With'tllle housing, just as it is con noted to the b 'rings 33` as throughtheamgi, passage 35. Tli'e'l er ential.,4`v eazfiliglscnntailied 111 the housing 3.4;

andlu rcantifsconducted to it through the passage 31.

The lubricant being supplied under oonsiderablelpressure, it'ls `possible to use pl :iin:

bearings, but I .donotconlne myself to this particular type.- Itil;.desirablel that .the oil shall he conserve and Ineens is providedv for' conducting the oi baul; to the vehicle. frame,

andas shown Fig. 3,.,a passage 361s pre vided below the propeller shaft bearing 29, whereby excess oil muy vfliziwoislt of the rear aude housing. Atuhnlar housing 37 extends from the rear Yaxle liousin to the gearbox and thedriving foremyie transmitted `by it, or 1t may act as a torsion memberor Vit `may perform neither ofthese functions. However, the lubrieantlows through the pas` sage 36 into it and is carried either wth or without the assistance of the Aproppelling blade 38, through the tube und through the passage 10 into the gear box. The lubricunt may rbe kept at e certain level in the geur box and run into a sump where it may be purified and run through the system again as desired.

In Fig'. 2, I have shown. u modification wherein the gear box is made integralwith the rear axle housing', und the lubricant system may be split up into two parts, one lead* ing from the passage 18 in thefleysheft andthe other from the pussageV 12 in the mein shaft. Oil kept at theproperlevel by overflowing 'through passage '60.

ther modications of the structureel-e also shown in thisA figure. rlylie 'drive rom the dierentinl gearing tothe ouber'ends of the rear axle may be through Cardanshudts 50, the lubricant being conducted through the universal joint in the same manner 1n which it is conducted throughv the universal joint 23. ln this form, the housing forthe diierential gearing and the eerbir'may be mounted on the frame ang 'theldive to the rear wheels will be effected tl'iroughd the Cardan shafts. This, however, isnot'-necessary, and all may be mounted upon the rear wheels unsp'rung.

An alternative method of intriguing the' universal joint is shown `by carrying the 1ubrioant through the auxiliary passage 52 to the interior of an auxiliary casing' 53, in which is contained a universal joint 'and'conducting the lubricant 'f roni'said auxiliary chamber to the `interior of the axle through a transverse passage 54. The same 'arrangement for carr ing the lubricant forward to the location 3l is provided in this embodiment of my invention.

By this invention it is possible te lubri cate under pressure all bearings behind the clutch, It has tinev-ouslybeenfproposed to circulate oil between the axlefclisingfaid the gear box by means of a pimp in 'the axle casing, but in such a easetthe'beurings were `not supplied uner pressure, whereas by the present invention pressure lubrication throughout is possible.,I y vvhelifis pructicallv essential where plein bearirigslarefused t isobviou's that many; plaoes'vvherehollow shafts are used, the oil' conducted ploy a seperate oil. tube tttheshaft,

and inthe same vway. it isnot essential that the oil passagesgbe formedWin-fthecutting walls as they may he constituted by tubes' attached to the walls. f f

I While I have descrbedin greatjdetail the specilic embodiment of my vK lfirltlol'i, I d0 not desire or intendthatl hellobe ylnnte'cl to the 'details disclosed, that such` modifications, ve tations' andfalaptationsas occur to those sn'lled in the all'hall fall iso within the scope of luy invention which I intend shall be defined by the hereunto appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Lela ters Patent is:

l. In a motor vehicle, a tranne, a (.lriving axle, a propeller shaft; for tra nsinittng power to Said axle and provided with lneanei for conducting lubricant to Said axle and means for conductingr lubricant from said axle to said frame.

2. In a motor vehicle, a frame, a driving axle, means for conducting lubricant from said frame llo said axle andvmeans for conducting lubricant from said axle to Said frame.

3. In a motor vehicle.y a frame, a drivingr axle, means for cond noting lubricant to .said axle and means for conducting lubricant from said axle to Said frame.

4. In a gear-box, a driving Shaft, a driven Shaft, a lay-shaft, said drivingr anddriven shafts being provided with lubricant pas sages and Said layhaft having!i a lubricant',

passage and means providingr eonnnnnication between said passages of l aid driving and driven shafts and said passage ot' said lay-shaft.

5. In a motor vehicle, a gear-box, a driv ing axle and a shaft; for transmitting power from said gear-box to said axle. said shaft,

being: prtlvided with means for eolnlnctinf luhrirant. to said driving' axle from gear-box.

In a motor vehicle the combination with a gear-box. a driving' axle and a propellet' shaft., including:` a universal joint and arranged to tralnnnit power from .said gearn box to said axle ol a :tingle [ii-ensure lubri- `ation system for sliliraantially all parts thereof i1u,lndin, f` an oil pnseage through soule of said parte.

7. In a mlitor vehicle. a driving,r axle and a shaft for transmittingr power to said axle, said shaft being provided with means` for remitir-.ting lnl'vrirant to said driving axle.

8. In a motor vehiele` a driving1 axle and means for conducting lubricant thereto,said axle, being provided with meansl for condnctinlnr lubricant under pressure to auxiliaries associated therewith.

S). In a motor vehicle n driving axle, a driven axle. a propeller shaft., means for ontzetting said propeller Shaft with said drivinz;` shaft ut' various4 npccfd ieiatzions, a nnirrrsal joint between Said wenns and said propeller eli-att. r-arh of Said parteI being provided with a passage through which lubrirant under prese-ure mayy be forced thereby lubricating said parte.

In testimony whereof have signed my name to this specification.

JOSEPH I. FERGUSON. 

